CNJ No. 113 debuts for 100th birthday year

Steam locomotive and vintage passenger cars at station

MINERSVILLE, Pa. — Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 113 made its 2023 debut on April 8th with the Easter Bunny Trains. These round-trip excursions operated out of Minersville, the locomotive’s home base, in partnership with the Reading & Northern Railroad. Passengers onboard celebrating the holiday weekend were treated to the sights and sounds of […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of April 10th 2023

News & Products for the week of April 10th 2023: An image of a model locomotive

News & Products for the week of April 10th 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of April 10th 2023. […]

Read More…

Nevada Northern locomotive 93 is a desert survivor

black locomotive No. 93 with gray smoke

Name: Nevada Northern locomotive 93 Builder: American Locomotive Company (Alco) Wheel arrangement: 2-8-0 Consolidation Build date: 1909 Significance: Built in 1909, Nevada Northern 2-8-0 steam locomotive No. 93 is a survivor. One of four 2-8-0s purchased that year by American Smelters Securities Company for its copper mining operation based in Ely, Nev., the steam locomotive was […]

Read More…

Colebrookdale Trust will acquire locomotive from Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum

4-6-2 steam locomotive on outdoor display

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum will transfer ownership of former Canadian National 4-6-2 No. 5288 to the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust in Boyertown, Pa., the two organizations announced Friday, with Colebrookdale planning to eventually restore the locomotive to operation. The engine will move to Pennsylvania as soon as possible. Built by Montreal […]

Read More…

Two Norfolk Southern crew members injured in Alabama derailment

Norfolk Southern logo

JASPER, Ala. — Two crew members were injured Saturday night when a locomotive and 11 cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed Saturday night, AL.com reports. Also on Saturday, an NS train was involved in a minor derailment in Pittsburgh. In the Alabama incident, the railroad said the locomotive rolled onto its side, spilling some […]

Read More…

Alstom receives new contract for MARC operations, maintenance

Commuter train with two locomotives

BALTIMORE — The Maryland Transit Administration has awarded Alstom a five-year contract for operation and maintenance of the MARC commuter rail Camden and Brunswick lines, with options for two extensions. The initial contract is worth $401 million, with a total of value of $1.4 billion including the potential extensions in 2028 and 2033. Alstom, which […]

Read More…

Virginia seeks additional funding for Long Bridge project

Aerial-view rendering of bridge across river

RICHMOND, Va. — The cost of a second rail bridge over the Potomac River — a key part of Virginia’s plan for major expansion of Amtrak and commuter-rail service on the I-95 corridor south from Washington, D.C.— has risen substantially, leading to a $389 million shortfall, the Washington Post reports.= The new two-track Long Bridge […]

Read More…

The history of Heritage Fleet column and toy trains

black background with red and silver model locomotiv

The history of the “Heritage Fleet” column is an interesting one. This regular feature in Model Railroader magazine between March of 1987 and March of 1990, helped toy train enthusiasts and scale modelers discover classic miniature locomotives, cars, and more designed and sold in the first 50 or so years of the 20th century. In […]

Read More…

FRA issues safety advisory on train makeup issues

Aerial view of derailed freight cars

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration on Friday issued a safety advisory calling on railroads to address potential safety risks resulting from the structure of long freight trains, saying it has “noticed a rising trend in recent incidents where train build and makeup have been identified as a potential cause or contributing factor.” Limitations on […]

Read More…

CSX reaches sick-time deal with SMART-MD

CSX logo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation has reached an agreement with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Mechanical Department (SMART-MD) to provide paid sick leave, its ninth such agreement with a union representing CSX workers. “CSX continues to work collaboratively with all of our union partners to find solutions that improve the […]

Read More…